Happy Halloween

We went to a Halloween Party  two weeks ago, we went to hauntings last weekend, and we get no trick-or-treaters. So, what do we do on Halloween? Watch scary movies, of course.

We started on Sunday afternoon, watching some vampire movies. Today I watched House on Haunted Hill, a William Castle classic.

Now it's Black Sunday, a gothic cult classic directed by Mario Bava with Barbara Steele in a dual role as a witch and her descendant. Now this is a good horror movie--atmospheric with good performances and no gore or torture.

Happy Halloween.

Autumn Saturday with Haunted Happenings

We hadn't heard of Cherry Lane Park until we saw it on a map on the Wilton loop of The Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT.) Last week after we walked the NRVT, we drove by Cherry Lane Park.

This past Saturday afternoon, Jeff, Lola, and I headed to the park (here's the trail map on page two.) We started on the orange trail, but got off on the blue-white trail which was too short. Then we found the orange trail again and continued our hike.

I call it a hike because it wasn't a smooth path like the NRVT. We had to navigate tree roots and acorns, and go up and down hills. I'm serious about the acorns: there were so many in places that it was dicey walking downhill.

We hiked for an hour. It was a beautiful autumn day, and Lola loved exploring all the new scents.

***

We've gone to the Haunting on Mill Hill for the last three years. This year Jeff told me about Haunted Victorian Ghost Stories at Lockwood-Mathews mansion. I asked which one he wanted to do. In typical Jeff fashion, he said "Why not both?"

Lockwood-Mathews: Haunted Victorian Ghost Stories

This was our first haunting of the evening. We walked around the first floor of the darkened mansion.  Early in the tour, a volunteer was reading a story and the tour guide screamed in my face: I was standing next to her. I'm proud to say I didn't react at all.

The ghost stories were good, but they suffered because the volunteers were reading them--and holding flashlights to see their scripts. That took me out of the moment. I liked that volunteers were hiding in the shadows. I recognized one guy among the mannequins before he started talking. Some were lying on the floors calling out, and there was a good use of piano to punctuate some of the stories.

The stories also suffered by attempts to include descriptions of odd things that happened at the mansion itself. These weren't particularly scary such as there was a sound of footsteps upstairs, but no one was there.

Overall, I thought the event was a bit too hokey.

A Haunting at Mill Hill 

I wouldn't have been as critical of the Lockwood-Mathews event if I hadn't been to A Haunting at Mill Hill. This was our fourth Haunting.

At Mill Hill, actors perform the stories--and they do it with relish. We started inside hearing one story, then we split into two groups and walked through the cemetery to learn about other deaths. This year including a funny story about two socialite sisters who died together. I also learned something: the term lobsterback for British soldiers.

Work in Progress

I forced myself to go to the gym Wednesday. I was exhausted Tuesday night, but didn't do the practical thing and go to bed early. I was posting and writing until midnight.

It wasn't that I got a late start on Wednesday (I was up by 6:30) but that I got off to a slow start. Before I knew it, it was 9:30. It would have been easy to blow off the gym: I would have done that a few weeks ago.

By the time I got to the gym. it was 10:15. It wasn't a particularly good workout, but it was a workout. I did better on Thursday: I was finished with my workout by 10:15. I also had a good workout today.

I've been prioritizing my workouts, which obviously has made a big difference in my gym attendance. I've also been prioritizing walks with Lola. I'd say our walks average 50-55 minutes. I want to take this time now before winter sets in, and it gets too cold for leisurely walks.

I finally got started on my new ACT manual. I've only had it since the end of August: just another example of me sabotaging myself. I start with a new ACT tutoring student next week; he's already taken an ACT course. That means I need to get my manual updated as well as figuring out additional material to cover with him. I had a similar experience with another student last winter (without a new manual to update) so at least I have some idea what to do.

I've been seriously considering doing nanowrimo this year. I had an idea to write a murder mystery set in a dog park. Now, I don't think it's  a good time for nanowrimo. I've got the ACT manual to do, ongoing major cleaning, organizing, and decluttering, finalizing (I hope) my mother's estate, financial planning, you get the picture. Even as I write this, I wonder if I'm just making excuses. This just might make me crazy.

If I do forgo nanowrimo, I have to do nablopomo, at least. Oh look, there's also a NaNonFiWriMo, National Nonfiction Writing Month. Pressure.

My last WPA mural inspired writing class is November 5. I want to keep writing. I can try for 500 words a day in addition to my blog posting. I failed when I tried to do that a few years ago, but at least it's doable: not as onerous as nanowrimo's 1667 words a day.

Now it's time to work on my story for my WPA mural class on Monday.

The State of the Estate: The Hearing

My nephew waited until the last day to request a hearing from the probate court. He didn't have to show any kind of reason to request a hearing, so we didn't know what to expect. Last night, I reviewed a list of expenses and documents I had to complete for my mother's long term care insurance.

He handed the judge a copy of a letter he wrote back in May requesting a complete accounting of everything my mother did financially from 2014 to 2019 that would "impact the beneficiaries" of her estate.

Every dollar she spent would, of course, impact the beneficiaries of her estate. Was she supposed to live in a shack or forgo medical treatment just to preserve her estate?

The judge told him this was outside the purview of the probate court (not in those exact words.) Probate is only concerned with the time after death.

I thought he would have researched this. Apparently not.

Working on Working Out

A few posts ago, I wrote about going to the gym three times in a week. Last week, I went four times. On the other three days of the week, I exercised at home for about a half hour. It had been four months since I went to the gym either three or four times a week,

I didn't expect to get to the gym on Sunday, so I did leg, chest, back, and ab work as well as cardio on Saturday. My Sunday tutoring student canceled, but I don't think it's worth going to the gym just for cardio. Yesterday I was finishing a story/essay for my writing class, and today I had a hearing about my mother's estate.

Tomorrow will be four days now since I've been to the gym. Not an insurmountable obstacle, but this is when it gets easy to forget about the gym, to just blow it off for another day, and then another.

Last year by this date, I  had been to the gym 69 times. This year, it's been 49. That's pitiful.

I'll go to the gym tomorrow and see if I can start a new trend.

Reading: What's On Deck

A few days after I finished my last book, White Fire, I put myself on the library waiting list for Margaret Atwood's sequel to The Handmaid's Tale,  The Testaments: I was number 16 on the list. Two weeks later I had risen to number 10. As of Monday, I was number four.

I wasn't sure how quickly I would rise through the list. At first, I focused on catching up on some magazines that had piled up. Then I decided to re-read The Handmaid's Tale--my fourth time. Now I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll pick up a book of essays (Virginia Woolf) or a collection of short stories (science fiction.) I just know that as soon as I get The Testaments, I want to concentrate on that.

About Last Week

The week started with me editing a story for my writing class. The library was closed for Rosh Hashanah, so I had two weeks to write a story inspired by the WPA oystering murals by Alexander Rummler. I had an idea for my story shortly after receiving the assignment. I wrote most of the story last weekend. On Monday, I edited it and read it in class. It was very well-received--people thought it was a true story. All of the stories were good--even better than the agriculture-focused stories in our previous assignment. I am really enjoying this class.

I also wrote four blog posts last week. This included two posts about our wedding getaway three weeks ago.

I went to the gym three times. It's been months since I've made it at least three times a week. I exercised here three times. Of course, I'm walking Lola every day. Our average walk is around 50 minutes. We've been fortunate with nice weather and need to take advantage of it. Last Monday I saw the (or a) hawk at Oyster Shell Park. It was too far away for me to get a picture before the hawk flew off.

We had a small last DPF of the year.

On Saturday, Jeff, Lola, and I walked on the NRVT from Wilton Center through Merwin Meadows Park to School Road and back again. I suggested we stop at the Red Rooster Pub afterward: photo here. I figured it could be our last opportunity to have a drink outside this season.

I finished the week at a reception for the Autumn exhibition at the Rowayton Arts Center. That could be my first artist date in years.

Overall, it was a good week. My biggest fails were in housework and prep work for my ACT Manual.

Keep on trying.

The Eternal DPF Optimist

That's how I described myself to Jeff last night.

Jeff wondered yesterday if it were too late in the season for DPF, but I was game. It's been a bleak few days, but yesterday wasn't bad, around 60 degrees. Plus I promised Lola that we were going to DPF when we visited the vet. I didn't expect many people, but I expected to see John, Jen, and Chris (with Katie and Indy.) I hoped to see Nick and Lauren (with Ellis.) We only saw Chris and Indy. Indy first appeared by herself; she likes to roam a bit.

Jeff and I brought wine, but we didn't bother to open it. If it had been a screwtop, I would have. We could have had a toast. Chris and Jeff were sure it was the last DPF of the season. It was dark by 6:30; next week it will be dark even earlier.

I'm holding on to this: a DPF in November. I guess that was just a one-time thing.

I mentioned last night that our first DPF this season was April 19 with just Jeff, Chris, and me with Lola and Indy. This post has a photo. I guess it's full circle that it was the five of us at the last DPF. Jeff took this photo last night.

Good bye DPF until next spring.

Book 18: White Fire

I loved this book. I spent a few hours last Friday morning finishing it when I should have been doing other practical things. I couldn't wait to find out what happened.

White Fire somehow combines a sadistic arsonist/murderer, a 150 year old mystery, poisonings, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, Corrie Swanson in a major role, Arthur Conan Doyle, and a missing Sherlock Holmes story.

This is one of Preston and Child's best books.

Wedding Getaway: The Wineries

Here is one of my worst frustrations about this trip. About two months before the wedding, I was looking online and found a great brochure that listed antique places, hiking trails, distilleries, wineries, breweries, and cideries in the Hudson Valley. I had planned to compare it to a county map to figure out what would be reasonable to visit. 

Unfortunately, I didn't download it or print it when I first saw it. I could never find it again. The things I did find were limited (a list of antique places) or unable to download. I figured I would find lots of brochures and maps once I got into the area. That was not the case until we were headed home. 

We decided to take Route 9W home; Jeff remembered reading about wineries on this road. After passing through Catskill, we drove through sparsely populated areas, by abandoned industrial sites, and through Saugerties for what seemed like hours. Then I saw a sign for El Paso Winery (Funny name for a winery in New York.) There was a deck off the tasting room. It would have been nice to have a glass of wine and maybe some cheese out there. Unfortunately, the winery wasn't dog friendly, and it was too hot to leave Lola in the car. Jeff and I separately tasted two wines each, and I bought a bottle of the peach sangria. 

We pulled into a second winery whose name escapes me, but it was closed for a wedding. Too bad, it looked very nice. Someone told us about a cidery down the road, but we didn't see anything. Later I saw a sign for a distillery. It must have been the place to turn, because I never saw another sign. 

Our next stop was Kedem Winery. I was concerned its wines would be sweet, but it offered several wines from around the world. We bought a few bottles of Israeli wine.

Shortly after Kedem, we decided against a visit to another winery and continued south. Jeff wanted to try one more winery. A circuitous route led us to Palaia Vineyards. Some kind of music event was going on. Palaia also has a restaurant, but we were able to sit outside with Lola to taste some wines. Lola attracted attention from some passersby, including a woman whose son lives in Norwalk and goes to Taylor Farm. 

We left Palaia and continued home to end our getaway. 

Wedding Getaway: The Hikes

We hiked every day on our getaway. On the first day, we made a quick stop at Lovers Leap State Park and later hiked at Kent Falls. It's a short walk up the falls (a quarter mile) but steep.

The next day we visited Millerton, checked out the Antique Center, Harney & Sons Tasting Room, and hiked along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Here are a few shots along the trail. Jeff and I liked the arrangement of rocks.

.

The next day after checking out Reed Street and Riverside Park in Coxsackie, we headed to Kaaterskill Falls.  Signage to/at the park was rudimentary. We found an empty space in a parking lot, but learned from a visitor that there was an uphill climb to the falls (okay) but we'd have to wall along a winding path along the side of the road. I was unsure about navigating that with Lola. The visitor said there was another trail from the top of the hill, so we headed there. 

We walked from a Historic Society building along another rail trail (not as easy a hike as Harlem Valley, but relatively easy for the most part.) It was a 3.6 mile walk. As we approached the fall lookout, we realized there was a parking lot about .3 miles from the lookout. D'oh.

Here's a photo of the falls. 

I must admit that I expected more. Someone said I should have gone in the spring. We enjoyed the hike, but were a bit disappointed in the falls.

 On Saturday, Jeff researched Hannacroix Falls just north of the wedding site. We got off to a late start and had to pick up sandwiches and salad for the wedding party. Jeff set the timer on his phone to 15 minutes, so we could turn around and get the sandwiches on time. After lunch we checked out a short hike at Four Mile Point Preserve and walked around Riverside Park. 

We returned to Hannacroix Falls on Sunday for about an hour. Unfortunately, I didn't get very good photos, but we got a new hike on our last day away. 

A "Wasted" Week

Around Thursday I was thinking that this week was a waste. Later I decided that was only partially true.

I should have done much more cleaning and chores. I cleaned the bathroom, including washing the bathroom rug, and did the daily dishes. I pre-washed my new jeans before wearing them, and did the weekly laundry.

I talked myself out of going to the gym from Sunday through Friday, though I did go on Saturday. Otherwise, all I've done for the past three weeks was walking/hiking with Lola. I told myself yesterday that I had to return to my goal of working out at least one half hour a day besides walks. I already missed that goal (I stretched for maybe five minutes.)

I started the week on the a writing roll: two posts and a start of another. My writing class was off because the library was closed last Monday. I really enjoyed our last class and felt inspired the next day. While I wrote stories in my head, I didn't even start to put them on paper until Thursday. I wrote most of the story yesterday, and added and revised today. Annoying because it would have been better if I had written it down earlier, leaving me more time to revise.

I took a friend out to lunch. She doesn't drive, and she doesn't get out often. I enjoy getting together. and she likes to get out, so it's a win.

So the week wasn't all that bad; I just have to make it better.

Acknowledgement

In my last post about the Mets, I said that the game was a microcosm of the whole season.

On Monday I watched Fast Forward, an hour version of the game with highlights (or lowlights.)

On the replay, I heard Gary Cohen say the game was a microcosm of the season. I apologize Gary. I didn't realize I'd stolen that from you.